Infant length and weight statistics are used to assess and monitor infant growth and health. Thus, accurate methods and apparatus for measuring the length and weight of an infant are necessary for an accurate determination of an infant's health. Length and weight measurements are particularly important for newborn infants where small changes in length and weight affect clinical diagnosis of hypothyroidism, dysmaturity versus intrauterine growth failure and proper nutritional planning.
Infant length and weight measurements are difficult to obtain accurately due to the lack of cooperation by most infants. Newborn infants generally do not fully extend their legs nor do they like it when an individual forces them to extend their legs. In the past, length measurements have frequently been taken using a standard ribbon-type tape measure extended along the length of the infant. Due to the infant's withdrawn legs, it takes one individual to hold the infant and extend at least one leg for measurement and a second individual to actually measure the infant's length.
Some prior art length measuring devices place the infant on a platform such that the crown of an infant's head is placed adjacent a stop at one end of the platform. A slidable guide is then manually moved along the platform toward the infant until it contacts the infant's feet. The distance between the stop on the platform and the slidable guide is then used to determine the infant's length. One such measuring device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,939,849, issued to Johnson.
As with other prior art length measuring devices, it is difficult for one person to obtain accurate measurements using the Johnson invention due to an infant's retracted legs. Unfortunately, infants rarely cooperate and stay still with their legs extended in order to allow an operator to manually slide the guide into contact with the infant's feet. Thus, as with other prior art length measuring devices, the Johnson invention requires two people to make accurate measurements, one to hold the infant still and extend at least one leg and the other to move the slidable guide into contact with the infant's feet.
Both infant length and weight measurements are required to properly diagnose infant growth. Thus, it would be beneficial if a single piece of equipment could be used to measure both an infant's weight and length in a single operation. It would also be beneficial if a single nurse or doctor could take accurate infant length and weight measurements without assistance from another person.
A major concern with all infant measuring and weighing devices is avoiding any possible harm to the infant during the measurement process. Infants are easily harmed by being pinched or cut or by falling off of equipment or furniture if they are left unattended for even a minute. Even newborn infants move sufficient amounts to create concern if they are leer unattended on a piece of equipment without proper safety restraints. Thus, precautions must be taken to ensure that an infant is not harmed during length and weight measurements. It is also a concern of doctors and nurses that the equipment used to measure an infant's length and weight be simple to operate, clean up, and maintain.
The present invention is a length and weight measuring device that avoids some of the above-identified disadvantages of the prior art.